The Full Monty

Detailed Itinerary

Day One – Begin Your Holidays in Peru

Your holidays in Peru will begin today with your arrival in Lima. We will meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in the stylish Miraflores area of the city for you to check in. Depending on your arrival time, you may just want to rest, but if you’re feeling up to it then we’d highly recommend taking a walk around the lovely Parque Kennedy and perhaps to one of our recommended restaurants to sample some of Lima’s world-famous cuisine.

Day Two - Tour of Pachacamac

After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel and take you out of a Lima for a guided tour of the sacred city of Pachacamac - some of the most important pre-columbian ruins in South America. You’ll return to Miraflores in time for lunch and we’ve left you the afternoon free to explore or have a quality siesta! (Breakfast Included)

Day Three – Travel to Paracas

After a relaxing breakfast and free morning we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the coach station, where you will catch a coach down the Pan-American Highway to the beautiful Paracas peninsula. We will of course be waiting for you when you arrive and take you to your beachfront hotel where you’ll have a free evening, and of course, it's only polite to try the famous local brandy! (B)

Day Four – Tour of the Ballestas Islands

The Ballestas Islands, also known as the ‘Baby Galapagos’ are waiting for you this morning. We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the harbour for your boat trip where you’ll be able to see loads of birds and sealife including flamingos, sea-lions and dolphins so don’t forget your binoculars! In the afternoon you will have a short journey further down the Pan-American to the town of desert town of Nazca. (B)

Day Five – Flight over the Nazca Lines

An early start today as we take you to the airstrip for your flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Experienced and knowledgeable pilots will make sure you get the most out of this intriguing spectacle. In the afternoon you will return to Nazca to catch a coach up into the foothills of the Andes and the White City of Arequipa, where you will arrive in the late evening. (B)

Day Six - Arequipa: The White City

Probably the most beautiful city in Peru, a kind of Seville at the foot of the El Misti volcano is where you’ll spend today! The fantastic sights of Arequipa, such as the monastery of Santa Catalina, are just begging to be seen. You will have the whole of the day free so plenty of time to relax in the city’s famously laid-back atmosphere when you’ve finished exploring. (B)

Day Seven - Colca Canyon

After breakfast we’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you on a on a guided tour of Colca Canyon. The Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon and hosts some wonderful natural hot springs and a huge variety of wildlife and birds so you’ll be able to enjoy some spectacular sights on your journey through to Chivay, a small town right in the middle of the Canyon where you’ll be staying tonight. (B/L/D)

Day Eight - Second Day in Colca Canyon

A bright and early start this morning, as your guide takes you to the 'Cruz del Condor', opposite the nesting-sites of the famous Andean Condors. We'll arrive in plenty of time to see these majestic birds launch themselves into the Canyon as they set out on their day's hunt, all of this before you’ve had breakfast! After spending more time in the Canyon, you will travel on to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The altitude is pretty high here (3,800m) so it’s a good idea to take things easy – maybe try a cup of coca tea. A stroll by the lake as you head out to dinner is something you might like to think of doing this evening. (B)

Day Nine – Lake Titicaca

You will enjoy a full day on Lake Titicaca today. We will pick you up after breakfast for your day on the Lake. After visiting the floating reed islands you will stop on the ‘real’ island of Taquile to visit the Inca ruins and have lunch. The lake has been a focal point for many Andean cultures and as you experience the tranquillity you’ll begin to understand why. (B/L)

Day Ten - Travel to Cusco

We will head to the coach station this morning for your journey to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital. Your guide on your coach will be on hand to answer any questions you might have and you’ll stop at the Inca temple of Wiracocha, the Stone Museum at Pucara, and the road's highpoint at La Raya. The coach also stops at Sicuani for your buffet lunch which is included. We will be there to meet you when you arrive in Cusco and take to your hotel just off the main square. (B/L)

Day Eleven - City Tour of Cusco

We’ve kept this morning free to give you chance for a leisurely breakfast and some time to introduce yourself to the city. In the afternoon, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you on a guided tour of Cusco. Your tour will be on foot to allow your guide to help you get your bearings and point out the more interesting quirky Inca features you pass by which you don’t get to see from the window of a coach. (B)

Day Twelve - Free Day in Cusco

A full free day today to just relax and take stock of your holidays in Peru. The local markets are excellent for those all important souvenirs or the bohemian district of San Blas has an extensive choice of art and jewellery on offer if that’s more your thing. Or you could just sit back in one of Cusco’s many cafes, enjoy a coca tea and watch the world go by... (B)

Day Thirteen - Into the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba awaits you today as we journey further into the Andes for a full day tour of this peaceful and scenic valley. You will visit many Inca sites today including the village of Pisac (and its famous market) and the stunning temple-fortress of Ollantaytambo, as well as the royal site of Chinchero with its unique colonial church. Your guide will be on hand with all the information you will need to start understanding the spirit of the Incas. After your tour you will be taken to your hotel in the valley for a peaceful night’s sleep in this tranquil setting. (B/L)

Day Fourteen - Free Day in the Sacred Valley

A holiday isn’t a holiday without some quality relaxation time and where better to put your feet up with a good book and enjoy the view.

Day Fifteen - Machu Picchu

Today’s the one you’ve been waiting for..... We will pick you up early in the morning and take you to the train station in Ollantaytambo for your train up to Machu Picchu. We’ll give you a full guided tour of the site and then leave you to explore the nooks and crannies yourself. Although you’ll never forget your day here or your first glimpse of the breathtaking lost Inca city make sure you remember your camera as we can guarantee you’ll be wanting to show these photos off! When you’re ready, you’ll take the bus back down through the cloud forest to the foot of the mountain and head to your hotel for the night. (B)

Day Sixteen – Back to Cusco

You will have a free morning in Aguas Calientes today, so you can relax and enjoy the hot springs that give the town its name (or enjoy a second visit to Machu Picchu - see the options below). Your train back to Cusco will depart in the mid-afternoon to get you back to your hotel in time to head out for your last evening in the Inca capital. (B)

Day Seventeen - Into the Jungle

A short flight to Puerto Maldonado this morning as you head into the jungle. On arrival your guide will meet you and take you on a 40 minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe, at the end of which is the lovely Posada Amazonas eco-lodge. After a short briefing session we will then walk out to the lodge’s private canopy tower, from where you have an amazing birds-eye view of the rainforest. We will then take a different route back to the lodge, giving us extra wildlife-spotting opportunities and so the expert local guides can explain more about the amazing flora and fauna of the rainforest. We return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner. After dinner we may have a chance to head out to a nearby oxbow lake to look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, we will also be able to float in the middle of the lake and enjoy the southern stars as they are meant to be seen... (B/L/D)

Day Eighteen - Posada Amazonas

After breakfast this morning, we will take a boat out from the lodge, and then have a short walk through the primary forest before we reach the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake. As we paddle across the lake, we will be keeping an eye out for the resident families of giant otters, and other lakeside wildlife such as the prehistoric-looking hoatzins and a huge variety of birdlife. Our destination is one of the largest parrot clay licks in the Amazon basin. From a specially-constructed hide, you will be able to see dozens of parrots and parakeets, from many different sub-species descend on the clay lick to supplement their fruit diet with the clay minerals.

After lunch, we will head downriver to a special trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape – a specialist medical centre dedicated to producing medicines from rainforest plants, using the knowledge of local peoples. We will then head back to the lodge for dinner, before our optional night walk out into the jungle, which gives you a fantastic opportunity to see many of the more elusive jungle creatures... (B/L/D)

Day Nineteen - Back to Lima

After an early breakfast it’s time to head back to the river and perhaps into the jungle itself, for a final chance to spot some of the local wildlife before returning to Puerto Maldonado to catch the lunchtime flight out of the jungle to Lima. On arrival we’ll take you back to your Miraflores hotel to get ready to head out and enjoy your last night here in Peru! (B)

Day Twenty – Final Day of Your Holidays in Peru

We have left the last day of your holidays in Peru free to make sure we can accommodate any international flight time and get you to the airport in plenty of time for your journey home. If you don’t depart until the evening we can organise some extra sightseeing for you and we always make sure you keep your hotel room until you leave for the airport so you can leave your packing until the very last minute if you so desire! (B)

What's Included?

The standard price for our "Full Monty" holidays in Peru is £3095 per person, which is based on two sharing a double or twin room in our standard hotels.

That price includes all your accommodation, internal transport, transfers, tours, guides and entrance fees. It also includes all your meals in Colca Canyon and the jungle, lunches in the Sacred Valley, on Lake Titicaca and on the journey from Puno to Cusco, plus breakfast every day.

We don't have any "local payments" or sneaky charges: everything you have read about on this itinerary is included in that price. And because everything we do is tailor-made, we don't have fixed departure dates or minimum numbers for our trips. Outside of national holidays or other special events, this price is valid for the whole of 2020.

International flights

So with the exception of a few meals, everything on your holiday is included. What we don't include as standard is your international flights, because with these you have a huge range of options depending on the date you want to travel, the route you want to fly, and your preferred departure airport in the UK.

We aren't tied to any particular airline, and we will be delighted to discuss all options with you, or you can even book the flights yourself if you prefer: it's totally up to you.